A lecture series inaugurated in the spring of 1996 to honor the memory of Rowland W, Redington, one of the pioneers in the development of magnetic resonance imaging as a clinical diagnostic tool. The first lecture was by John Schenck, M.D., Ph.D., entitled "Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Its Technical Origins and Its Clinical Future." In recent years, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become firmly established as a medical diagnostic tool. This technique represents the most successful achievement yet in the centuries-old efforts to apply the science of magnetism to the practice of medicine. The dramatic developments that permitted the dissemination of MRI in the 1980s were made possible by scientific and engineering advances of the preceding decades. More than any other medical imaging modality, MRI permits the noninvasive study of subtle biological processes in intact, living organisms. It remains an intensely active field for research and development. New applications ranging from MRI-guided surgery to the imaging of mental activity are being actively pursued at the present time. Dr. Schenck was a leading participant in the research group that achieved the first high field whole-body imaging at 1.5 T in 1982, which has subsequently become a standard clincal practice. He has developed new gradient coil designs and the application of surface coil imaging techniques. His current interests include MRI-guided surgery, high field imaging, and new gradient coil designs for ultra-fast imaging.